The present invention relates generally to pipe insulation coverings and more particularly is directed to a new and improved method and apparatus for cutting, positioning, and adhering sections of pressure sensitive sealing tape of predetermined length across the width of a web of jacketing material moving at a constant speed, at predetermined intervals. Sections of pipe insulation jackets are then produced when the composite is cut across its width at the mid-lines of tape sections and at the positions midway between succeeding tape sections.
A section of jacketed pipe insulation is formed by adhering precut sheet material to a major portion of the outer surface of a tube of fibrous thermal insulation. The jacketed tube has a region of jacketing which is not adhered to the tube to expose a sector of the tube wall which is slit longitudinally to afford a means of slipping the tube over a pipe. Adjacent the exposed sector, extending tangentially thereof, is a tab extension of the jacket to which is adhered a strip of sealing tape. After removal of a protective tear strip (in the field), exposing a pressure sensitive surface of the tape, the pipe insulation may be quickly sealed by adhering the tab to the remainder of the wrapper.
Problems arise in the production of sections of jacketing material and attached adhesive edge strip. One known method, a semi-automatic operation, is characterized by manual feeding of precut jacket sections into a tape application unit. The production rate of such an operation is typically low. Fully automatic tape application machines, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,614, have production rates which are limited by the cyclical or intermittent nature of the feed of jacketing material.